Steam heating system



Feb. 13, 1934. v EATON 1,946,676

STEAM HEATING SYSTEM File d Aprll 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Yl/VCENT fa rozv.

ATTQ RN EYJ Feb. 13, 1934.

V. EATON STEAM HEATING SYSTEM Filed April 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR VINCE/V7 f/rro v.

A TTORNEVJ Patented Feb. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of steam heating systems.

Steam heating systems now in use have always been inefficient because of the fact that the temperature maintained in the radiators is practically constant and therefore the heat emission is practically the same at all times regardless of outside weather conditions. This causes overheating in mild weather with a consequent waste of heat and discomfort to the occupants of the building.

Automatic regulation of the pneumatic or electric type controlling each individual radiator in the building has been successful in overcoming this waste and discomfort but the cost of installation and maintenance make these systems prohibitive in most buildings.

Other systems have been devised whereby the temperature of the radiators is lowered in mild weather by maintaining a very high vacuum on the, system. Such systems are capable of only a very limited control and the excessive vacuum required is objectionable.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to devise a steam heating system free from the objectionable features described above and which may be completely controlled throughout all desirable degrees of temperature and with a saving in cost of fuel.

More specifically, the object of the present invention is to devise an improved form of system which may be operated with a normal degree of vacuum or pressure and in which there is produced a continuous circulation of steam and air mixture which is uniform throughout the entire system with re-circulation of the air, and in which the relative proportions of steam and air may be regulated to any degree desired.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description and claims when considered together with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 of the drawings is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating one form of my improved system; and

Fig. 2 illustrates a modified form of my improved system.

It is to be understood that the present disclosure is merely for purposes of illustration and that the present form of invention may be varied without departing from the spirit thereof as herein set forth.

Referring to the present illustration, the steam boiler 1, which may be located in the basement of the building, is connected with the steam main 2 from which extend the risers 3 for feeding the individual radiators 4 distributed throughout the building in the usual manner. A return riser 5 is connected to the other side of each radiator through a thermostatic or other trap and discharges through the main' return pipe 6 into the separating tank '7 which thus receives the condensed steam and air from the entire system.

The air pump 8 sucks the air from the separating tank 7 through the pipe connection 9 and delivers the same through the pipe 10 past the check valve 11 into the steam main 2 with which direct communication is thereby had. The water pump 12 withdraws the water from the tank '7 through the pipe connection 13 and delivers the same through the pipe 14 into the steam boiler 1. There is provided also the valve 15 which serves as an intake for atmospheric air into the pipe 9 for delivery of air into the system. The valve 16 has connection with the pipe 10 and serves as a discharge valve for the purpose of reducing the proportion of air which is delivered into the steam main 2. The check valve 11 will permit the admission of air from the pipe 10 into the steam main 2 but will not permit passage of the steam or air in the opposite direction.

Thus, the present system as herein described comprises a completely closed circuit of pipe connections by which it is possible to return the condensed steam to the boiler and. to also return the air from the discharge pipe 6 back into the system for re-circulation with the steam through the steam main and in turn through the radiators.

Assuming that the building is in comparatively cold condition and that it is desired to increase the heat emission of the radiators, this may be done by opening the valve 16 (valve 15 being kept closed) so as to permit the escape of the air therefrom as it is withdrawn from the separating tank 7. This permits the system to be filled with steam to the practical exclusion of air. Should it be desired to decrease the heat emission of the radiators, this may be done by opening the valve 15 and closing valve 16 so as to permit the entrance of outside air for mixture with the steam in the main 2 and for circulation through the system. In this way, the ratio of steam and air in such mixture can be varied as desired according to prevailing conditions. The tank '7 may be omitted by providing a direction connection between the air and water pumps and the pipe 6, if so desired.

In this way, when the building is at the devalve.

sired temperature and the correct proportion of air has been introduced into the system, little or no adjustment of the air valves will be required until such time as there occurs a definite change in outside weather conditions.

If so desired, the air intake valve 15 may be maintained at all times in slightly open condition so as to admit a comparatively small quantity of air into the steam main 2, and the ratio between the steam and the air in the system may be regulated altogether by adjustment of the valve 16, according to whether it is desirable to discharge more or less of the air from the system and thereby vary the mixture of steam and air.

In the present illustration, the system is disclosed as embodying a single air intake valve and a single air discharge valve which are located at a convenient point, as for instance, in the basement of the building, and which may be adjusted by hand. It is possible, however, to devise a system involving the same principle in which there is provided, as before, a single air intake valve 15 and a plurality of separately valved air discharge lines according to the number of points throughout the building where it is desired to effect the desired adjustment or regulation of temperature for a given area. That is, the pipe connection between the air pump 8 and the steam main may be not only at the one point as herein illustrated, but at any number of points along the steam main throughout the building. According to such modified systems, any one of the air lines may be provided with an adjusting valve adjusted so as to discharge more or less of the air to that part of the steam main which supplies the region of the building under the control of that particular air Similarly the valves on the individual branch lines may be automatically controlled by thermostats located in the various sections of the building. Thus, the advantages of zoning can be obtained by zoning the air lines instead of zoning the steam lines as has been the practice heretofore. For instance, it may be desired to place a certain vertical section of the building or one particular side of a building under control which is separate and distinct from the control of the remaining portion or portions of the same building so as to more efiiciently supply heat to such individual sections of the building according to the particular exposures and other natural conditions prevailing at different parts of the building. In this way, there may be realized a still further economy in the cost of fuel and also a still further degree of uniformity in the temperature.

Although the values 15 and 16 are herein described as hand operated, yet it is to be understood that their operation may be made automatic by the installation of thermostatic control devices placed at various points through the building for the proper adjustment of these valves according to the temperatures desired, as already explained- Fig. 2 of the drawings illustrates modifications of the system just referred to; that is, it indicates the manner in which the air line may be connected to the steam supply piping at numerous points, and also shows how automatic control may be applied to the system.

In this illustration, (Fig. 2), the air line is shown connected to the base of each steam riser 3A, 3B, 3C, etc. There is no check valve in the main air line (10) but each branch air line to each steam riser has an individual check valve 11A, 11B, 110, etc. In each branch air line there is also installed a shut-off valve 16A, 16B, 16C. Each such shut-off valve is automatically controlled by a separate thermostat 18A, 18B, 18C, etc, located in each of the rooms supplied with heat from the particular steam riser controlled thereby.

Valve 20 is a relief valve set at a pressure slightly greater than the maximum pressure in the steam main. An inlet valve 15, on the suction side of the air pump, is adjusted to allow a relatively small quantity of air to be drawn into the system at all times. Air outlet valve 16 on the discharge side of the pump is closed at all times.

The operation of the modified form of system illustrated in Fig. 2 is as follows: Assuming the building to be cold and the heating system started, all parts of the building require heat and all thermostats 18A, 18B, 180, etc. are closed, with the result that the air pump builds up a pressure in the main air line 10 until relieved to atmosphere through relief valve 16. Under this condition, the air drawn from the system together with the small quantity sucked in through valve 15, is discharged to the atmosphere and all radiators operate at maximum efiiciency. Let us assume that, due to outside exposure, the section of the building controlled by thermostat 18A heats up somewhat more rapidly than other portions. When this thermostat reaches the set temperature, say 70, it opens up valve 16A and permits air to enter riser 3A and mix with the steam. Then all radiators supplied by riser 3A will receive a mixture of steam and air instead of steam alone, resulting in a decrease in the heat emission of these radiators. As other sections of the building reach the desired temperature, the other thermostats 18B, 180, etc., will open the other air valves 16B, 160, etc, with the same resultant decrease in the heat emission of the other radiators. As any section of the building cools off, the thermostat controlling that section will again shut off the air line to the particular riser allowing only steam to enter the radiators until that section of the building is again up to the set temperature.

The thermostats 18A, 18B, 180, etc., and the valves 16A, 16B, 160 are standard equipment now in common use, and their operation may be by electricity, compressed air, or other means, as is Well known to those who are familiar with such forms of mechanism.

The illustration in Fig. 2 of the drawings is merely to show one of the many possible modifications of the system described in its simplest form in the present application. As previously stated, many other modifications can be employed. The adaptation of this system to a one pipe air line return system would differ only in minor details. However, all of these modifications are based on the fundamental principles covered by the claims appended hereto.

In the present system, the steam is under normal pressure of approximately five pounds and the degree of vacuum is also normal, that is, fifteen inches. However, the steam may be above or below atmospheric pressure. quantity of air in the system is regulated according to prevailing conditions and is under control at all times. The air is mixed with the steam in a uniform manner through the entire system and such mixture is in constant circula- The r tion so that there is no danger of the heretofore objectionable air-binding. The circulatory system is of a completely enclosed form and the air is admitted at one or more points along the steam main which forms part of the circulatory system.

Existing steam heating systems, whether two pipe steam or one pipe steam with air line returns, can be readily changed over to the system hereinbefore described without involving any expensive changes to the existing steam and return piping, etc., that is, the cost of the change would be relatively small. The present invention makes possible a decided saving in the cost of fuel and also renders more uniform the degree of temperature throughout the building or any portion thereof. As already explained, the regulation of temperature for any given portion of the building may be efi'ected according to the particular local conditions.

A further advantage not found in most temperature control. systems, lies in the ability of the operator to deliver to each section of the building just sufiicient heat to adequately heat the various rooms, under prevailing weather conditions. Therefore, if the occupant of a room opens windows promiscuously, the room will cool off immediately compelling him to close the window. As the opening of windows in mild weather is the cause of great waste of steam, the advantage of my present system is obvious. This feature of my system, as above referred to, is not present in any of the most elaborate and expensive temperature control systems.

By varying the ratio of steam and air in the present system, the heat emission may be reduced to practically nil by increasing the quantity of air and reducing the quantity of steam to the full limit, and also the other extreme of heat emission may be obtained by excluding all air and permitting only steam to be circulated through the system. Furthermore, there may be obtained all intermediate degrees of heat emission between these two extremes by regulation of the ratio of steam and air in the manner above explained. Thus there may be obtained any heat emission desired without waste.

The illustration in the present application shows a boiler for generation of steam. However, the system is equally adaptable to district steam heating systems.

A further advantage of my invention lies in the fact that troubles caused by leaky traps would be minimized. Uncondensed steam in return lines would be pumped back into the heating system instead of being wasted to the atmosphere. Also, the wear and tear on traps would be greatly reduced.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a closed circulatory system including one or more radiating units, means for supplying steam thereto, means for sucking air from the atmosphere and for discharging the same to the said system independently of the steam pressure in said system, and means for continuously circulating the steam and air and re-circulating the air through the said system.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a closed circulatory system including one or more radiating units, means for supplying steam thereto, means for regulating the quantity of air in said system independently of the steam pressure in said system, and means for continuously circulating the steam and air and re-circulating the air through the said system.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a closed circulatory system including one or more radiating units, means for supplying steam thereto, means for also supplying air to said system independently of the steam pressure in said system, and means for continuously circulating the steam and air and re-circulating the air in varying relative proportions through said system.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a closed circulatory system including one or more radiating units, means for supplying steam and air to said system in continuous circulation and the air in re-circulation therethrough, and adjustable intake and discharge means in said system for regulating the quantity of air to be circulated and re-circulated therethrough independently of the steam pressure in said system.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a steam supply means, a circulatory system including one or more radiator units, a supply connection between said supply means and said unit or units, a return pipe for air and condensed steam from the unit or units, means for separating the condensed steam and air, means including a suction pump for returning said air together with any uncondensed steam to said steam supply connection and circulating and re-circulating continuously a mixture of steam and air in said system, and valve means for varying the quantity of air and steam so as to vary the ratio of steam and air in said system, the admission of air to said system being independent of the steam pressure in said system.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a steam supply means, one or more radiator units, a supply connection between said supply means and said unit or units, a return pipe for air and condensed steam from the unit or units, a tank for receiving the condensed steam and air from said return pipe, pump means and pipe connections for returning the air from the tank to said steam supply connection and for returning the condensed steam to said steam supply means, a valve for venting air from said air-return pipe, and a valve for supplying additional air to said air-return pipe, whereby the ratio of steam and air in the system may be varied and the admission of air to said system is independent of the steam pressure in said system.

'7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a closed circulatory system including one or more radiating units, means for supplying steam thereto, means for supplying air to said system at a single point independently of the steam pressure in said system, and means for continuously circulating the steam and air and re-circulating the air through the said system.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a closed circulatory system including one or more radiating units, means for supplying steam thereto, means for supplying air to said system at more than one point independently of the steam pressure in said system, and means for continuously circulating the steam and air and re-circulating the air through the said system.

VINCENT EATON. 

